Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Tuesday 1 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Emergency Services

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to detach the revenue element of police and fire brigade funding from operational funding.

Angus MacKay: None.

Energy

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to discharge its commitment, set out in its Programme for Government, to promote renewable energy.

Sarah Boyack: The Minister for Energy at the Department of Trade and Industry is today announcing to the House of Commons the Government’s intention that 10% of the UK’s electricity requirements will be provided from renewable sources by 2010. This target will be an integral part of the Government’s Climate Change Programme, and represents an increase of 5% on the level that is expected to be achieved by renewable energy by 2003. The Government believes that this increase can best be achieved within the framework of a competitive market, by placing a new Renewables Obligation on all electricity suppliers.

  Through its Programme for Government, the Scottish Executive is committed to the development and promotion of renewable sources of generation. I am, therefore, keen that the Scottish Executive should make an important contribution to the UK’s climate change programme, and the 10% renewables target. Counting the output from our hydro schemes, and renewables projects in the pipeline under the Scottish Renewables Obligation, we expect that well over 10% of Scottish electricity demand will be met from renewables by 2003. As part of the Scottish Climate Change Programme, a draft of which will issue for consultation soon, I intend to seek views on increasing, by around 5%, the share which renewable electricity will by then have of the Scottish market, a similar increase to that sought for the UK as a whole. This would be implemented by a new Renewables (Scotland) Obligation, which would run in parallel with the Renewables Obligation in England and Wales.

  We are aware that an increase in the production of renewable energy in Scotland will face particular barriers. To help address some of these, I am currently reviewing the planning guidance for renewable energy. The purpose of this review is to help planning authorities find the balance between national policy on climate change and renewable energy, national policy on landscape and nature conservation and the local impact of particular schemes. In addition, I plan to review with the electricity companies in Scotland the capacity of the Scottish electricity grid to connect more renewables projects.

  I am placing in SPICe a copy of Mrs Liddell’s Parliamentary Answer along with the UK Government response to last year’s consultation on the promotion of renewable energy.

Homelessness

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in relation to the provision of council housing for single people convicted of non-violent crimes and who were council tenants prior to serving a prison sentence but are homeless on their release, and what impact this policy has on the likelihood of such individuals re-offending.

Jackie Baillie: The primary statutory responsibility for dealing with homelessness rests with local authorities. In discharging their responsibilities local authorities are required to have regard to the Code of Guidance issued by the Scottish Executive which includes specific guidance on measures to prevent ex-prisoners from becoming homeless. The Scottish Executive has been concerned to note the extent to which ex-prisoners feature amongst those people who sleep rough. That is why we have adjusted the focus of the Rough Sleepers Initiative to increase the emphasis on prevention and support for this group. The Homelessness Task Force will consider whether further action is required to address the needs of people who may be at risk of becoming homeless, including ex-prisoners.

Housing

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many evictions from Scottish local authority housing have been carried out in the last five years for (a) rent arrears and (b) anti-social behaviour.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Information is already available in respect of eviction decrees issued by the courts, but not broken down by category of tenant nor by reason for eviction being sought by landlords. We are currently considering, with local authorities, whether information in respect of eviction actions and actual evictions against council tenants, should in future be collected centrally. Any such arrangements, if agreed, will apply from 1 July 2000.

Housing

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish local authority tenants have exercised their right to buy after proceedings to evict them for anti-social behaviour have been initiated in each of the last five years.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This information is not held centrally.

Information

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the next Scottish Abstract of Statistics will be published.

Mr Jack McConnell: If we continue with a volume in this format, the next edition would be that for 2000.

Information

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Abstract of Statistics, due to be published in December 1999, has not yet appeared.

Mr Jack McConnell: I refer Mr Russell to my answer to question S1W-3743.

Information Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place for liaison between the Digital Scotland Taskforce and the Knowledge Economy Taskforce.

Henry McLeish: Liaison between the two taskforces is maintained partly through common membership. I am a member of the ministerial committee on Digital Scotland and am chairing the Developing the Knowledge Economy Taskforce. Mr Hugh Aitken of Sun Microsystems is also a member of both taskforces. Liaison is also promoted through officials in the Education Department and the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department who are acting as secretariat to the respective taskforces and are in regular contact with each other.

Information Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an overlap between the respective remits of the Knowledge Economy Taskforce and the Digital Scotland Taskforce and how that overlap is to be managed.

Henry McLeish: Both the Knowledge Economy Taskforce and the Digital Scotland Taskforce are cross-cutting initiatives and there are clearly linkages between the work of both groups, although the Knowledge Economy Taskforce has a discrete interest in areas such as business innovation and human skills. The main area of common interest is in e-commerce and this is being managed by close liaison between both taskforces. The members of each group are being made aware of the work of the other.

Justice

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement to the Parliament by the Minister of Justice on 11 November 1999, what further steps it proposes to deal with any problems caused to the Sheriff Courts by the suspension of the use of temporary Sheriffs.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have today authorised the recruitment of a further six permanent Sheriffs who will be given Commissions as floating Sheriffs enabling them to serve wherever required throughout Scotland. These posts will be advertised and successful candidates will be appointed as soon as possible. Scottish Ministers are still considering their response to the High Court judgement which led to the suspension of the use of temporary Sheriffs. Subsequent cases in the Supreme Courts, which involve challenges under the ECHR to aspects of judicial appointments, may have a bearing on the outcome. One such case is still before the Court and I shall make a full statement to Parliament once we have reached conclusions.

Local Government

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to retain the services of Mr Brian Souter as one of its "Champions of Change".

Mr Frank McAveety: The Champions for Change have made themselves available for consultation by councils on an entirely voluntary basis, for which we are very grateful. We leave it to councils themselves to make their own contacts with the Champions, and to determine the role they can play in sharing discussion on how to manage change.

Local Government

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2224 by Mr Frank McAveety on 25 November 1999, whether it has received the full account of Stirling Council’s practice in relation to the co-option of individuals to council committees which it requested and whether it is satisfied that Stirling Council’s practice in this regard complies with all of the relevant statutory requirements.

Mr Frank McAveety: I refer to my previous replies of 14 December and 11 January to questions S1W-2867 and S1W-3390. We received the chief executive’s response on 7 December, and it was in the light of that that I wrote to the leader of the council on the lines described in my reply of 11 January to S1W-3390. I am looking forward to receiving his reply.

Parliamentary Questions

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide an answer to question S1W-2310 lodged on 2 November 1999 and whether it will provide an explanation for the delay.

Sarah Boyack: I have now answered question number S1W-2310. The delay was due to the need to collate and analyse financial information from within and outwith the Scottish Executive to enable a full answer to be made.

Police

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any guidelines are provided to police officers as to the approach to be taken to a civil property dispute.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive does not provide guidelines on civil property disputes to the police. However, the police have a duty to maintain public order and safety.

Transport

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what were the savings to the tax-payer over the seven year period of the present ScotRail franchise agreement and how much of these savings have been re-invested in the railway industry in Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: When they were let, the 25 passenger rail franchises in Great Britain were designed steadily to reduce the Government’s support for passenger rail services. This reduction is currently treated by the UK Treasury as a general saving to the Exchequer. The estimated total value of franchise payments to ScotRail is £1.749 billion for the period 1997-98 – 2003-04. The estimated cumulative reduction of franchise payments for the same period, compared to the amounts which would have been paid had payments continued at the 1997-98 level, will be £0.271 billion. Corresponding reductions are taking place in the other franchises throughout Great Britain. Details of the ScotRail franchise are set out in the table below.

  Investment in the railway industry in Scotland and elsewhere in Great Britain is principally a matter for the industry itself. In its 1999 Network Management Statement for Scotland, Railtrack outlined investment of some £2.2 billion over the next ten years. ScotRail is investing around £170 million in new trains that will enter service between now and 2001. Public sector support for passenger rail franchises underwrites almost all of this investment. Rail services are eligible for support from the Scottish Executive Public Transport Fund, totalling £90 million between 1999 and 2002. The Rail Passenger Partnership scheme, for which £105 million is available over the next three years, is administered by the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority on a GB basis.

  SCOTRAIL FRANCHISE PAYMENTS 1997-2004 (£000s)

  


YEAR 

  

TOTAL VALUE1


TOTAL REDUCTIONS2




1997-98* 

  

£288,6313

 



1998-99** 

  

£280,1773


£8,454 

  



1999-2000*** 

  

£264,601 

  

£24,030 

  



2000-01 

  

£248,096 

  

£40,535 

  



2001-02 

  

£232,719 

  

£55,912 

  



2002-03 

  

£220,999 

  

£67,632 

  



2003-04 

  

£213,859 

  

£74,772 

  



TOTAL 

  

£1,749,082 

  

£271,335 

  



  * Feb 1997 prices ** Feb 1998 prices *** 1999 – 2004: Feb 1999 prices

  Notes:

  1. For Strathclyde PTE-funded services, revenues are paid to SPTE and offset their franchise payments to ScotRail: these revenues are estimated at £309 million for 1997-98 – 2003-04.

  2. Reductions are calculated against baseline year 1997-1998.

  3. The figures for 1997-98 and 1998-99 include incentive payments to ScotRail.

Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the most recent assessment it has made as to whether the A709 and A701 are suitable as strategic road links between Dumfries and the M74.

Sarah Boyack: Neither the Scottish Office nor the Scottish Executive have undertaken further strategic assessment studies of the A709 or A701 since the A74(M) Dumfries Link Study.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the M74 Northern Extension sufficiently meets its strategic roads assessment criteria to be allowed to progress in its current form.

Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Tosh to my answer to question S1W-3762.

Voluntary Sector

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scottish Executive funding for the voluntary sector is allocated to black and ethnic minority organisations.

Jackie Baillie: Scottish Executive direct funding to the voluntary sector in 1998-99 totalled £23 million. Of this, £275,000 (1.2% of the total) was allocated to the Ethnic Minority Grant Scheme. The scheme provides grants to voluntary organisations in Scotland for projects designed to reduce discrimination and promote racial equality.

  A strategic review of Scottish Executive funding for the black and ethnic minority voluntary sector was announced on 27 October 1999 and the outcome of the review will be reported in the summer.